A brake of this type comprises a plurality of rotary annular plates called "rotors" and stationary annular plates commonly called "stators". These plates are in an alternating succession, with the rotors being mounted free to slide on a rotating part linked to the aircraft wheel, while the stators are mounted free to slide on a support which is fixed relative to aircraft.
Thrust means, for example hydraulic actuators, are regularly distributed around the support facing the stator-rotor assembly and brake the aircraft by thrusting the rotors and stators against one another. The rotors and stators may optionally be fitted with friction linings, depending on the nature of the material from which they are made.
More precisely, the stators are connected to the brake support by means of a torsion tube provided with a retaining plate situated opposite to the thrust means for withstanding the forces applied thereby during braking. An insulator such as an asbestos-based plate is interposed between the thrust means and the first stator of the stator-rotor assembly in order to protect each of the thrust means mounted on the support from the heat flow generated during braking. This asbestos plate is fixed to the end face of each thrust means co-operating with the first stator; it is difficult to provide satisfactory fixing therefor. In addition, such a plate only provides locally-limited protection against the undesirable influence of heat flow.
The temperatures reached by the rotors and stators during aircraft braking are about 500.degree. C., and may rise to more than 1000.degree. C. under extreme braking. This energy is transmitted to the brake and wheel assembly by conductivity, by heat radiation, and by convection effects.
If there is a leak of flammable liquid, in particular if the thrust means are constituted by hydraulic actuators, a fire may break out in the brake by virtue of the temperature reached.
This risk is increased when the rotors and the stators are made of new materials having high heat energy absorption capacity which enables them to operate at higher temperatures, and which consequently gives rise to greater heat flow while retaining dimensional stability.
Heat flow also has an undesirable effect on the opposite end to the thrust means, i.e. adjacent to the retaining plate fixed to the torsion tube and against which the last stator may be pressed. In this case, heat flow tends to deform the retaining plate, thereby giving rise to poor support for the last stator. Such poor support can give rise to a loss in braking efficiency.
In order to avoid such deformations of the retaining plate, intermediate protective parts are locally disposed; however, these parts merely serve to delay deformation of the retaining plate.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention remedy the various above-mentioned drawbacks by providing the thrust means with more effective protection against heat flow, and additionally they may also provide the retaining plate situated on the opposite end to the thrust means with protection against heat flow.